Trump Announces Israel Agrees to Conditions for 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire
| 2025-07-02
US President Donald Trump talks to members of the press as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on July 1, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP)
US President Donald Trump says Israel has accepted terms for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire, urging Hamas to agree amid renewed efforts to end the conflict.
President Trump stated on Tuesday that his administration’s representatives held “a long and productive meeting” with Israeli officials to advance negotiations aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said Israel had endorsed the necessary elements for the short-term truce and that final proposals would be delivered to Hamas by intermediaries from Qatar and Egypt.
“My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza,” President Trump wrote. “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War. The Qataris and Egyptians… will deliver this final proposal.”
CNN, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, reported that Qatari officials had earlier presented the plan to both sides. The initiative follows months of diplomatic engagement led by Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, and coincided with the visit of Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to Washington.
According to the source, the latest offer attempts to address Hamas’s previous objections to an earlier proposal rejected by the group earlier this year. Under the current terms, Israeli hostages would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners during the truce period.
However, there was no immediate confirmation from Hamas that it would accept the deal. A source involved in the talks told The Times of Israel that Hamas’s response was generally positive but included conditions, such as demands aimed at limiting Israel’s ability to resume military action if negotiations on a permanent ceasefire were not concluded by the end of the 60 days.
Hamas’s updated proposal reportedly suggests releasing hostages gradually across the truce rather than in two early phases, which negotiators said was intended to prevent Israel from ending talks prematurely once the initial releases were completed.
In Israel, officials have acknowledged mounting international pressure. On Tuesday, an Israeli military official told CNN that while Hamas’s military capacity had been significantly reduced, eliminating the group entirely had proven difficult.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to travel to Washington to meet President Trump on 7 July, has previously insisted that the war would not end before Hamas was defeated. Yet, Israeli media reported that some cabinet members believe the prime minister has become more open to a negotiated solution.
“There is a positive dynamic and lively activity on the issue of negotiations,” a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel.
Speaking to reporters, President Trump said he planned to be “very firm” with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the need to end the conflict. “He wants to. I can tell you he wants to. I think we’ll have a deal next week,” he said.
During his visit, Mr Netanyahu is also expected to meet US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials to discuss regional security and hostage negotiations.
Hostage-ceasefire discussions have intensified since Israel’s recent military operations against Iran, which the Israeli leader said created “many opportunities”, including potentially bringing home the remaining captives held in Gaza.
According to Israeli authorities, around 50 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas and other groups. At least 28 of those are confirmed to have died, while there are fears for the condition of several others.
Context
The Gaza conflict escalated dramatically after the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters, in which hundreds were killed and dozens abducted. Since then, Israel has conducted extensive military operations in Gaza and, more recently, struck Iranian nuclear facilities in a separate confrontation.
The Gaza conflict escalated dramatically after the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters, in which hundreds were killed and dozens abducted. Since then, Israel has conducted extensive military operations in Gaza and, more recently, struck Iranian nuclear facilities in a separate confrontation.
Previous attempts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza have failed, largely over disagreements about the conditions under which fighting could resume and whether Hamas would retain control of the territory.
If agreed, the proposed 60-day truce could mark the first sustained pause in hostilities in months. However, mediators have cautioned that the road to a permanent ceasefire remains fraught with challenges, including Hamas’s insistence on a full end to the war and Israel’s determination to prevent the group from remaining in power.
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